Best Theater Production

Cleveland State University's Chekhov in Yalta

Normally, the Great Lakes Theater Festival's tenderly wrought
Seagull would be crowned with all of our critical laurels. But
in an uncanny fluke, Chekhov the Character trumped Chekhov the
Playwright as CSU brightened our summer evenings with John Driver and
Jeffrey Haddow's obscure Chekhov in Yalta. The experience was
not unlike an encounter with a Faberge egg — each layer offering
a new delight. First, the play: a meditation on Chekhov's final,
bittersweet love affair with both an actress and the theater
itself. Next, the director: Cathy Hartenstein, debuting her
theatrical finesse and jewel-like talents. Finally, the happy
familiarity of two Cleveland pros: Greg Violand as Chekhov and Tracee
Patterson as his actress inamorata. Both were at their most nuanced and
tender. I watched this production like a child, enjoying the infinite
delights of theater for the first time. (1833 E. 23rd St.,
216.687.2113, csuohio.edu/theater) —
KeithJoseph